Edgar courtright



(No Model.) '2 Sheets-Sheen 1. E. GOURTRIGHT.

HAND GAR.

No. 456,982. Patented Aug. 4, 1891.

(No Model.) 2 sheets-Janeen 2.

E. GOURTRIGH'I'.

HAND GAB.

No. 456,982. Patented Aug. 4, 1891.

WITNESSES 1. V VEN T09? UNITED STATES PATENT @FFICE.

EDGAR COURTRIGHT, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF THREE-FOURTHS TOCHARLES G. DAVIES AND FRANK C. LANGLEY, BOTH OF SAME PLACE.

HAND-CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 456,982, dated August4, 1891. Application filed November 3, 1890. Serial No. 870,103. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, EDGAR COURTRIGHT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of 3 Michigan,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hand-Cars; and I dodeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it ap-[O pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and

to the let ers of reference marked thereon,

which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to new and useful I 5 improvements in thepropulsion of hand-cars;

and it consists in a certain construction and arrangement of parts, ashereinafter more fully set forth, the essential features of which beingpointed out particularly in the claims. The object of the invention isto overcome the dead-centers in the conversion of a reciprocating motioninto a continuous rotary motion and without the loss of leverage forcein the application of the driving-power to the propulsion of hand-cars.This object is attained by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a hand-car providedwith my improved features. Fig. 2

is a top plan of Fig. 1, a portion of the platform of the car beingbroken away to show the connection of the chain with a sprocketwheel onthe axle of the car, and the top of the vertical frame that supports thedriving 3 5 mechanism being in horizontal section on line 1 1 of Fig. lto more clearly-show the arrangement of parts.

Referring to the letters of reference, A indicates the platform of thecar, and NV the wheels.

B B indicate the uprights of the vertical supporting-frame, consistingof said uprights connected by the cross-bars F F F". Said frame ismounted on the car-platform at the center thereof, as shown in Fig. 2,and supports the operating mechanism of the car.

0 indicates a crank-shaft journaled in boxes I), mounted on thecross-bars F of the frame,

said shaft carrying the sprocket-wheel E, that is connected by means ofthe chain J with the sprocketwheel L on the axle K of the car. (See Fig.2.)

G indicates a triangular, reciprocating, and oscillating lever,whoseupper arm 25 is mounted at its longitudinal center on the transverseshaft I, that is journaled at its ends in the sliding heads, H, saidheads being mounted on the vertical guide-rods D, secured at their endsin the cross-bars F F of the frame and are adapted to have areciprocating movement thereon.

The depending end of the triangular lever G is journaled at h to thewrist of the U- shaped crank C of the shaft 0, andthe'horizontally-opposite ends of said lever are provided with thehandles ff, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, at which points the power todrive the car is applied.

From the drawings and above description it will now be apparent thatwhen the power to propel the car is being applied at both the. handlesof the lever G the crank C, driven by said lever, is at no time on adead-center respecting the relative points of the application of powerthereto. For instance, when the crank O in its revolution is passing thepoint of dead-center between its axis and the handle f of the lever G,as shown in Fig. 1, the opposite handle f of said lever is exerting itsfull power upon said crank, at which moment the handle f of the lever isstationary and becomes the fulcrum of the handle f, thus giving saidhandle f of the lever a greatlyincreased leverage force over the crank,the converse being the case when the crank is passing the dead-centersbetween its axis and the handle f of said operating-lever, as will beunderstood. As the crank C revolves, the heads H, having journaledtherein the ends of the shaftl, on which is mounted the upper 0 arm t ofthe lever G, slide up and down on the guide-rods D, giving said lever avertically-reciprocating motion at the point of attachment to the headsH, and as the crank swings out of its vertical centers the lever. isrocked, causing its handles to oscillate. WVhen the crank C is passingits vertical centers, the arm 15 of the lever G is perfectly horizontaland its handles f f are moving at the same rate of speed and each havethe same I00 leverage force, the shaft I at that time acting as thefulcrum-point for said handles, respectively; but when the crank ispassing the line of dead-center, between its axis and one of the handlesof the lever, said handle so in line is stationary and becomes thefulcrum of the opposite handle, so that when one of the handles of thelever at which power is applied is rendered ineffective at a certainpoint through its dead-center the opposite end of the lever, by reasonof its shifted point of fulcrum, is given a highly-increased leverageforce to carry the crank past said point, thus carrying out theapplication of power for hand-car propulsion through the conversion of areciprocating into a rotary motion Without the loss of leverage force,producing a handcar cheap in construction that may be propelled with agreat saving of power over those in common use and at a much higher rateof speed.

Having thus fully set forth my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is v 1. In combination with theplatform, transporting-wheels, and axle of a hand-car, a sprocket-wheelmounted on the axle, the upright frame mounted on the car, the shaftjournaled .in said frame, the crank on said shaft, the sprocket-wheel onsaid shaft, the chain connecting the sprocket-wheels, the triangularlever having its lower plane attached to the crank of the crank-shaft,and the verticall y-traveling head, the triangular lever havin g apivotal connection with said head, its free ends each carrying ahorizontally-projecting handle, substantially as specified.

2. In combination with the platform and running-gear of a hand-car, theupright frame, the parallel guide-rods mounted therein, the slidingheads mounted on said rods, the shaft journaled in said frame and havingthe U- shaped crank, the triangular lever, its upper arm having apivotal connection with the sliding heads, its lower arm having a likeconnection with the U shaped crank, the handles f in the free ends ofsaid lever, and means for conveying power from the crank-shaft to theaxle of the car, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

In conjunction with a hand-car body, an upright frame mounted thereon,sliding heads on said frame, the crank-shaft, the trianglelever formedof a single piece, said trianglelever carrying handles in its free endsand having a pivotal connection with the sliding heads and with thecrank of the crank-shaft, and means for conveying power from saidcrank-shaft to the axle of the car.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDGAR COURTRIGHT.

Witnesses:

J. B. BRooKs, E. S. WHEELER.

